A Lucky Kid
by cheertennis12
Summary: Bensidy, post-finale. "Brian watched Olivia walk out of the apartment and out of earshot before turning to look at Noah. "You're a lucky kid, you know. Your mommy is a pretty incredible lady."
1. Chapter 1

**originally intended to be a quick night shift ONE-SHOT but longer than I originally expected, so this will be a two shot... if you guys want the second half, that is :)**

**A new chapter of "black & white" is almost done and coming soon as well! **

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**"**Thanks for watching him, Caroline. You have my number, I'll have my phone with me. Call me if you need anything. I shouldn't be gone long." Olivia said as she reluctantly handed Noah over to the babysitter.

The outpouring of love and support she had received since taking Noah into her care warmed Olivia's heart, and made her newfound responsibilities even possible. Nick, Fin, and even Cragen had offered to watch him anytime she needed, and she had swallowed her pride to take them up on their offer numerous times. But with the sensitive nature of this meeting, and to avoid having to explain or field questions from her curious friends, she elected to fork over the ridiculous price of the teenaged girl down the hall for a couple hours.

She walked down the block to a little bistro on the corner where she and Brian had eaten on a regular basis and waited for him to meet her there. She had only talked to him a handful of times since their breakup, but she wanted to be the one to tell him about Noah instead of him hearing the news elsewhere, so she bit the bullet and asked him to meet her.

* * *

"This is Noah," she said as she flipped through pictures on her phone and showed him one she had snapped the weekend before when she had taken him to the park with Nick and Zara. Brian looked at the picture, then looked up to study her carefully. Her smile lit up her entire face in a way he hadn't seen since before Lewis. He was thrilled to finally see her happy.

The pair chatted awhile longer, updating each other on their new separate lives and Olivia explained exactly how the little boy came to be placed in her custody, showing him more pictures and glowing like a proud mother.

"There's a couple things I think I left at your place... Do you mind if I come over sometime and look?" Brian awkwardly asked.

"You can walk over with me now if you want to." She wasn't too thrilled about the thought of bringing Brian around Noah, but seeing him after all this time was hard enough. She assumed it would easier to get it over with now so she could continue to attempt to put him behind her. She would pick Noah over him in a heartbeat, but a small part of her still looked at that sweet face and imagined him growing up with Brian as his Daddy.

They walked back to the apartment they used to share and Olivia prayed that Noah might still be napping as she unlocked the door. She immediately spotted him playing on the floor with Caroline.

"Thanks again for coming." Olivia said as she pulled a few bills out of her wallet and handed them to the babysitter.

"No problem. Good to see you, Mr. Cassidy" she asked with a hint of curiosity as her eyes shifted between the two of them. _Damn, even her too._

"You too, Caroline." Brian responded smoothly, sensing Olivia's discomfort at the situation. She closed the door behind her, leaving Brian alone with Noah and Olivia.

Olivia picked the baby up and held him protectively as she watched Brian rummage through the shelves in their living room, making small talk in the process.

The awkward conversation was finally interrupted by Olivia's phone. She went to set Noah down, but his whimpers warned her that he wasn't going to tolerate the separation. He was going through a stage where he wanted to be held constantly, but Olivia typically didn't mind the extra snuggle time. She tried to balance him on her hip as she rummaged through her purse in search of her phone.

"Can I...?" Brian walked over to where she stood and held his arms open. Olivia quickly handed the child over as she found her phone and answered, praying Noah wasn't feeling particularly partial to his Mama today and wouldn't start screaming. She half listened to the voice on the line while watching Brian interact with her son. He tickled his tummy and the little boy giggled, already taking to Brian in a way she hadn't seen him react to anyone else.

Olivia hung up the phone and continued to watch her former boyfriend play with Noah. Brian offered a sheepish grin when he caught Olivia staring.

"I have to go to the precinct for a little while." Olivia said as she moved to pack Noah's diaper bag and collect her things.

Brian looked at the little boy in his arms. "You know, Liv... I'm free for the rest of the afternoon if you want me to watch him for you."

Olivia hesitated. Noah was at such an impressionable age, and she hated the thought of introducing him to people who weren't going to stable fixtures in his life. Still, she knew he would be much happier at home with anyone than in the pack-and-play in her office, and the thought of not having to lug an infant and all of his accessories all the way to the predict was tempting.

Olivia sighed. "I guess that's alright. Promise you'll call me if he starts being a handful?"

"Promise." Brian said as he bounced Noah in his arms, the little boy squealing with delight.

Brian watched Olivia walk out of the apartment and out of earshot before turning to look at Noah. "You're a lucky kid, you know. Your mommy is a pretty incredible lady."


	2. Chapter 2

**here's the other half of what was planned to be a TWO-SHOT! Maybe I'm done, maybe I'm not, I'm indecisive. **

**If you read this and enjoy it, please leave a review and tell me so. Your feedback makes my day!**

**Enjoy!**

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Olivia paused outside her apartment door as she rummaged through her purse for her keys. Her responsibilities at the precinct had tied her up until early evening, and she was eager to get back home to her son. She half expected to hear Noah screaming on the other side of the door. _Or Brian,_ she chuckled to herself.

"Hey guys, I'm..." She scanned the apartment for the boys and trailed off when eyes landed on the couch. Brian was stretched out on the couch asleep, with Noah cuddled up and napping on his chest.

Olivia's hand flew to her mouth as she took in the sight in front of her. Brian and Noah. Together, the way she had imagined in the brief instances when she had let her hopes up and her guard down. She quickly stifled the emotion, knowing full well it was dangerous to allow herself to dream that way.

She quietly set her belongings down and went to the bedroom to change clothes. When she emerged, the boys were still asleep so she decided to make the most of the peace and quiet for the short time she expected it to last. She went into the kitchen, humming to herself as she fixed a bottle for Noah and flipped through takeout menus for herself until she heard Brian begin to stir in the other room.

"Shit, Liv! You scared me. How long have you been home?

"Shh," Olivia pressed a finger to her lips as she gestured toward the infant still asleep on top of Brian.

"Sorry," He mouthed to her as she made her way over to him. "I promise I was watching him, he was getting fussy so I changed him but then he was still crying so I made him a bottle but he didn't seem to want it so I thought maybe he was tired and I tried to put him in the crib but then he really started screaming so-" A grin spread across Olivia's face as she listened to Brian's slightly frantic rambling "-I brought him back out here and... wait, are you laughing at me?"

"No, no I'm not" she chuckled and shook her head.

"Well then, what is it?" Brian said as he slowly sat up and shifted a still-sleeping Noah into his arms to make room for Olivia on the couch.

"Nothing... I mean... I was just thinking... you would make a great dad." Brian stared at her with an expression she couldn't quite read. Olivia felt her cheeks flush bright red when she realized the awkward situation her comment had provoked, and tried to backtrack the words that had escaped her better judgement. "Not specifically to him... or with me or anything. Just, you know, in general."

"Honestly, Liv, I've thought about that a lot ever since I found out about Noah" Brian confessed

"Oh, for a whole six hours?"

"You really thought I didn't already know?"

"So you're spying on me now?" She fired back in a tone that settled halfway between flirtation and annoyance.

"Oh, come on Liv. Spare me the stalker ex accusations. It's not like it's a state secret, and you know those IAB guys are worse than teenage girls with all their gossip. They've been all over your squad after that shit your prick of a partner pulled." Olivia rolled her eyes as Brian took a dig at Nick. Why couldn't those two learn to get along, at least for her sake? "The guys found out and of course they ran back to me about it. I just figured I'd give you your space. If you wanted to talk to me about it, you would."

Olivia absently picked at a stray thread on the blanket slung over the back of the couch, avoiding eye contact. "Sure, if that's what you say."

Brian was beginning to get frustrated "Look, just because I decided it would be best not to call you doesn't mean I didn't want to."

"It's fine, Brian. I didn't expect you to. Hell, I didn't even know I should be expecting you to."

"For what it's worth, I'm excited for you. I've had fun hanging out with him today. He's pretty great." Brian took a deep breath and attempted to smooth over Olivia's defensiveness.

"But you don't like kids," Olivia muttered.

"What? When did I say that?"

"After how happy you seemed when that test was negative, I thought-"

"-You thought." Brian interrupted, failing his attempts to hide his frustration, "But did you even talk to me about it? No. You just assumed. Liv, it was awful timing. You were barely six months out from everything with Lewis, you'd just finished the trial, passed your sergeants' exam, taken over the squad... I'd just gotten my shield back and into IAB, we were both gone all the time-"

Olivia cut back in, "-And now... I'm by myself, back in charge again, I had the man who kidnapped me shoot himself right in front of me and almost lost everything because of it. But I'm doing this."

"Yeah Liv... You are, and you're doing a damn good job. Look, if that test would have been positive, we would have gone with it and I'd have been thrilled... Just because I didn't think then was the best time doesn't mean I didn't want it ever. I used to think about having kids all the time... I just kind of thought I had already missed my chance."

Olivia paused, taking a moment to let Brian's words sink in. "So why didn't you tell me that?" She responded slowly.

"You weren't happy. I didn't know if it was because of me, or your job, or just... life. But you said you felt stuck, and it seemed like you were looking for any excuse you could find to break it off... so I decided to give you that"

The pair sat in silence.

"So tell me now, Liv... are you happy?"

Olivia turned to look at him as her face softened and tears began to accumulate in her eyes. "I miss you."

"Me too..."

Neither Brian nor Olivia knew how to respond to the admission that had finally been laid out in the open, the catalyst for their uncoupling and the subsequent realization that they both had failed miserably at communicating.

"So what does this mean for us?" Olivia said softly, sinking into the couch and leaning her head innocently on Brian's shoulder.

"What do you want it to mean?"

"I don't know..." Olivia trailed off.

Brian nodded, silently communicating his agreement, "We could try this again? Take it slow, if you want to. I don't have to move back in or anything, at least not at this point. I've been staying with my mom, and I think she likes having me around to help out."

Olivia pondered his proposal. "It's not just about me anymore. I have to think about Noah now, what's going to be best for him."

"Look, Liv. The last thing I want to do is to hurt you... either of you. Besides, I'm pretty sure this little guy could take me if he wanted to. He's got a mean grip," Olivia smiled, thankful for Brian's attempt to lighten the mood. "We can try to keep him out of it for awhile, til you trust that I'm not going to run off. I could stay away from him, come over after he's asleep, not stay the night, get a babysitter if that's what you want."

Brian's heart sank a little with each suggestion that came out of his mouth. Even after just one afternoon together, he had begun to fall in love with the baby miraculously still asleep in his arms. For the first time, he began to understand Olivia's attachment to the little guy. From the moment she found him in that hotel room, to following him through the court system as a concerned spectator, reuniting him with his mother, then agreeing to foster him in a shocking courtroom twist, the two had an untouchable bond. They were meant to be together. Brian only hoped she would let him be a part of it.

"I don't think that's necessary. We're kind of a package deal at this point. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Definitely!" Brian offered his typical shit-eating grin

Olivia lifted off the couch just enough to reach up and plant a passionate kiss on Brian's unsuspecting lips, catching him entirely off guard in a similar fashion to their first reunion that found him recovering in a hospital bed.

Brian gladly gave in to her advance, but shot her a puzzled look when she finally pulled away.

"What, I can't kiss my second favorite man in the world?"

Brian scoffed. "Second favorite?"

"Yep," Olivia replied with a twinkle in her eye, playfully popping her lips at the end of the syllable. She reached over to take Noah out of Brian's arms and snuggle him in her own as he began to stir. "Definitely second."


	3. Chapter 3

**okay, okay... peer pressure wins! Does this satisfy you guys? I've been working on a little dark and twisty chapter of****_ black & white _****so****I needed to write some fluff to compensate! **

**(ps - shameless plug, I just started a new story called ****_Breaking Even_**** if you guys want to read some more Liv & Noah love once this is done!)**

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**ONE YEAR LATER**

"There is no way. You are not bringing that thing back into this apartment," Olivia crossed her arms and glared at Brian as he held his infamous cattle skull up against the wall.

Brian carried the object in question over to where Noah stood in his playpen, peering over the top as he curiously watched his mother and her boyfriend sort through the final boxes Brian had carried up to the apartment.

"What do you think, buddy? Should we keep it?" Brian asked the child as he danced it in front of him like a puppet. Noah giggled and reached his chubby arms out to grab for it.

"Two against one! The boys win again!" Brian exclaimed, dropping the skull and holding a hand out to hi-five the eighteen month old, a trick he was incredibly proud of having taught the little guy.

"You can't be serious" Olivia rolled her eyes.

"At least your son can appreciate an antique," Brian joked, playfully hitting her arm then wrapping his arms around her in tight hug before she had a chance to retaliate.

Olivia had brought up the suggestion of Brian moving back in the week prior. Her adoption had just been finalized, and Noah Porter Benson was officially in her permanent custody. The completion of home studies and ACS paperwork and court dates had left her feeling liberated, and sparked a yearning to make more than just the foster situation a permanent arrangement.

Brian, of course, had been elated. Unlike their previous attempts at a relationship, he had made every effort to make his intentions with her clear from the beginning. He loved her, and he wanted a future with both her and her son. He had left it up to her to control the pace of their relationship, their living arrangement and his interactions with Noah. When she finally suggested another attempt at cohabitation, he was more than happy to oblige.

She wiggled her arms out of his grip and wrapped them around his neck before reaching up to press her lips against his. He gladly opened his mouth to allow her entrance and the pair battled for dominance until Noah started to fuss in the background.

He groaned when she pulled away. "Sorry" she shrugged with a hint of a smile. "Baby trumps boyfriend... but bedtime is soon." She shot a seductive smirk in his direction as she walked over to pick up her son. Brian continued to unpack boxes as Olivia and Noah watched.

"How did all of this stuff manage to fit in this apartment before?" Brian muttered as he tossed another empty box into the kitchen and moved on to the next.

"Well, maybe if you would get rid of some of those tshirts... or that hideous thing..." She gestured toward the skull propped up in the corner "... it would be a little easier, now wouldn't it?" Brian simply rolled his eyes and shook his head, muttering something about baby toys that she couldn't quite make out.

Olivia glanced at the clock then back to her son, caching him contort his face into a wide yawn. "Come on, baby... It's time for bed. Say goodnight to Bri Bri." Olivia carried the baby over to Brian and let her boyfriend kiss him goodnight as he babbled away.

Olivia finally emerged from the bedroom after an extended routine of stories and songs and snuggles. She joined Brian on the couch, where he had propped his feet up and resigned himself for the rest of the night, stating he "had all day tomorrow" to finish. He handed her a glass of wine and sighed contentedly as he sipped from his bottle of beer.

"Did you ever think we'd actually be here?" He asked.

"Never." She confessed with a smile, "But I like it."

"Me too."

Olivia set her glass down and curled up against him, resting her head against his chest and interlacing her fingers with his. "So uh... what do you think about teaching him to call you Bri Bri?" Olivia asked.

"It's cool, for now. If I'm still around when he's a teenager, then we may have to reconsider," Brian briefly chuckled at his joke before catching the deeper meaning of what had just escaped his mouth. "Wait, Liv.. that's not what I meant... I, um, I definitely plan to still be around, it's just if you want-"

"Brian." She warned. "Remember when I told you you talk too much? Stop. Talking."

He grinned back at her.

"What would you say about teaching him a different name to call you?" Olivia finally asked, searching for the appropriate words to convey what was running through her head.

"Nah, it's really-what?" Brian stopped his thought as Olivia gave his hand a squeeze, a silent warning that some things never change.

"What about... Daddy?"


End file.
